Midnight raised her voice, making the result official:
"Shinso is incapacitated! Rito Takeda advances to the second round!"
The stadium erupted. The crowd exploded into cheers, and Class 1-A went into a frenzy in the stands.
"Damn, that ended way too fast!" Mina commented, still stunned.
"I literally blinked…" Jiro replied, frowning. "One second he was here, the next he was already over there putting the guy down."
"Takeda-kun is intimidating, ribbit," Tsuyu said, her eyes fixed on the arena.
Kirishima clenched his fists, fired up.
"That was awesome! That was seriously imposing! His aura is insane… just looking at him makes your blood boil!"
Meanwhile, Ojiro and Midoriya watched in silence, still processing what they had just seen.
"He won…" Ojiro murmured, impressed.
"Yes…" Midoriya agreed. "But I didn't expect him to just charge in like that, without giving any chance to react."
Midoriya's gaze followed Ryo as he left the arena. The distant, heavy expression on his classmate's face bothered him.
Something had clearly happened… he just had no way to prove it.
"What could've happened to make him so… irritated?"
Beside Kirishima, Dash also watched Ryo walk away. A competitive smile slowly spread across his face.
"Heh… if that's how you're going to play… then I'll have to be faster than you."
At that very moment, as if he had sensed the provocation in the air, Iida's glasses cracked, a sharp fracture glinting across the lens.
"…Hmph!" he forcefully adjusted his glasses, his nervous gaze fixed straight ahead.
Ryo walked through the corridors with his head lowered, his hands buried in the pockets of his uniform.
"I need to cool my head…"
He knew he had gone too far with that purple-haired boy. That level of excessive force had been completely unnecessary.
That was when the atmosphere seemed to grow warmer.
The sound of firm footsteps echoed from the nearby stairwell.
An oppressive heat—heavy, almost suffocating.
When Ryo lifted his gaze, he was met with a wall of flames descending the stairs to his right—Endeavor. The hero was coming from the opposite direction, having just finished a conversation with Shoto. For a moment, the two simply stared at each other. The air between them seemed to vibrate, growing hotter with every passing second.
"Hey. Kid." Endeavor called out, his deep voice echoing through the hallway.
Ryo narrowed his eyes as the Pro Hero approached. The flames on Endeavor's shoulders danced slowly, as if reacting to Ryo's presence.
"I've been observing you for quite some time," Endeavor continued. "Your quirk is impressive. Blows with that level of power… that speed. It's not something just anyone has, you know? In terms of raw strength, you seem to be on par with All Might's quirk."
Ryo's heart jolted. For a second, surprise. The next—pure irritation.
He clenched his teeth, the words sounding like poison in his mind.
"Not this again…"
Without answering, Ryo walked past the hero.
"I don't have time to talk," he said coldly.
Even with his back turned, Endeavor didn't stop.
"Shoto is my son," he stated firmly. "He's the one who will surpass All Might in the future. Eventually, you two will face each other. When that happens, you'll be a valuable test."
Ryo stopped.
Veins bulged along his jaw and temples, his fists tightening inside his pockets so hard his knuckles turned white.
"Why is everybody being such a fucking pain in ass...?"
"So," Endeavor concluded, "give it everything you've got when you fight him. Make it worth it."
Ryo remained silent…
"That's all." Endeavor took half a step, as if ready to move on. "Sorry for the bluntness."
…but not for long.
"Hey."
The word came out low, heavy with restrained anger.
Endeavor stopped and turned, staring at the boy's back.
"I don't know what obsession you have with All Might…" Ryo said, his voice steady. "But understand one thing."
Ryo slowly tilted his head to the left, casting a glance over his shoulder. The hero frowned when he saw the unnatural look in the boy's eyes.
Ryo's left eye had completely darkened, the sclera swallowed by black, while the right remained normal—the contrast making his expression even more disturbing.
He held the stare without blinking.
"I'm not All Might… and Todoroki isn't you."
Endeavor's flames wavered, reacting to the naked hostility in that voice. Ryo, for his part, remained still for one more second… then continued on his way, leaving behind a trail of tension and something dangerously close to a declaration of war against the number two hero.
----------------------------------------
Ryo joined the class in the stands shortly afterward.
"Takeda!" Dash called out excitedly, raising his arm. "Over here! I saved you a seat!"
The boy simply walked over in silence and sat down to his left without saying a single word. The contrast was immediate. Dash blinked a few times, his smile slowly fading.
He turned to his right, staring at Kirishima, and started making Bro Signals with his hands—pointing at Ryo and then at his own face, exaggerating a sulky expression.
Kirishima let out a tired sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"Man… what the hell is messing with his mood that badly?" he muttered.
Below them, on the opposite stands, Midoriya watched Ryo with the same concern.
Before he could think any further, Present Mic's loud voice echoed through the stadium.
"SECOOOND BATTLE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!! SHOTO TODOROKI VS HANTA SERO!"
The two stepped into the arena. Sero looked pumped and confident, rolling his shoulders. Todoroki, on the other hand, seemed off. His gaze was lowered, his expression closed… something was boiling beneath the cold surface.
"Hey…" Kirishima murmured. "He looks kinda… different."
The signal sounded.
And all that anger was unleashed in a single instant.
A colossal pillar of ice erupted from the ground, rising like a brutal wall. The biting cold cut through the stadium. Sero was caught completely off guard, frozen before he could even react, while half the arena vanished beneath the gigantic shadow of ice.
The silence lasted a second.
"Holy shit…" Dash let out, eyes wide. "Two-Tone is insanely strong."
"That's not even funny anymore," Kaminari commented, swallowing hard.
"SERO HAS BEEN IMMOBILIZED! VICTORY GOES TO SHOTO TODOROKI!" Midnight announced.
Trapped in the ice, Sero forced a crooked smile.
"Don't you think you overdid it just a little…?"
Todoroki blinked, as if only then realizing what he had done.
"…Sorry."
He walked toward Sero to thaw him out, but before that, he cast a quick glance toward the stands.
Straight at Ryo.
The look was returned with the same intensity. No smile. No words. Just raw tension between the two, like threads about to snap.
Midoriya followed the line of that gaze, clearly seeing the silent exchange between them.
The next match followed soon after—Kaminari versus Ibara. It didn't last long. The vines completely restrained him, ending the fight without much ceremony.
"Ababa… burr burr," Kaminari babbled, his brain fried.
Then came the third match.
"THIRD BATTLE! DASH VS TENYA IIDA!"
Iida stepped into the arena with his jaw clenched. He stared at Dash with a mix of nervousness and determination.
After all, he was about to face someone specialized in speed just like him.
"I entered U.A. believing my quirk would be somewhat relevant," he look down. "But I found people… much faster than me. Dash. Takeda. And maybe… Midoriya now."
He clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and assumed a fighting stance.
"Even so… I need to try and see the outcome."
He looked intensely at Dash, who responded with nothing more than a calm smile and a casual wave.
Iida swallowed hard.
"Will Recipro Turbo be enough…?"
"BEGIN!" Present Mic shouted.
"I won."
Dash's voice sounded right beside Iida.
His eyes widened instantly.
In the blink of an eye, he was no longer in the arena. The boundary line was right in front of him. Dash was there, standing calmly at his side, as if he hadn't dragged him out of bounds in less than a second.
"H-how…?!" Iida stammered.
"IIDA IS OUT OF BOUNDS!" Midnight announced. "Victory goes to Dash!"
Dash merely shrugged and walked out of the arena as the stadium erupted into murmurs.
"Dash advances to the second round!"
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The reaction in the stands was chaotic. Bob Parr couldn't contain his excitement, bouncing slightly in his seat.
"That's my champion!" he shouted, arms raised, eyes shining with pride.
Helen Parr joined in, cheering with a radiant smile:
"That's right, baby! Go all out and win this tournament!"
Violet, standing beside them, let out a long, exasperated sigh.
"Please… calm down a little…" she said, trying to keep her composure despite her secondhand embarrassment.
Bob, still in high spirits, sat back down, giving Violet a light pat on the thigh.
"Relax, kiddo. We're just rooting for your brother. What's the harm in that?"
Violet rolled her eyes but couldn't resist responding:
"The harm is that you're screaming like maniacs…" she said, already a bit irritated.
Bob let out a muffled laugh and made an apologetic hand gesture:
"Alright, alright. We'll try to behave… but I can't promise anything!"
His gaze quickly shifted to Tony, who was sitting next to her, trying to keep up with everything. Bob gave the boy a pat on the back, a little firmer than necessary.
"And you, Tony, have been a huge help translating everything for us!" he said, smiling.
Tony swallowed hard, his voice faltering slightly.
"N-no need to exaggerate… My Japanese is basic, I still have a lot to learn…" he replied, feeling the weight of the pat, which had been a bit too strong.
Bob, laughing again, gave another "light" pat that almost knocked Tony off his seat.
"Feeling yourself, huh? I like that, kid!" he joked before turning his gaze back to the arena below.
Violet turned to Tony, concern written all over her face.
"Are you ok?!"
The boy let out a groan of pain.
"I-I think my spine just broke…"
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Iida opened the door to the contestants' preparation room with a low creak. The boy with glasses wore a dejected expression, his shoulders slightly slumped, but he had barely taken two steps inside when he was surprised by a familiar voice.
"You did well out there, Iida," Midoriya said, trying to sound confident. "You may have lost, but you made it far. That alone is amazing."
Iida blinked, surprised, before forming a restrained half-smile.
"Thank you… yes, I suppose so."
He then lifted his gaze fully and finally noticed Midoriya sitting at the table. The boy was stiff, his eyes a bit too wide, his hands restless.
"M-Midoriya? What happened to your face?!" Iida asked, startled.
Midoriya seemed to realize too late that he was letting his nervousness show. He looked away, scratching the back of his neck.
"N-nothing serious… I'm just a little nervous."
Iida brought a hand to his chin, thoughtful.
"I see… your opponent is Bakugo, isn't it?"
At the sound of the name, Midoriya lowered his gaze to the table, his fingers tightening around the closed notebook.
"Yeah…" he admitted quietly. "I know how strong Kacchan really is. It would be a lie to say I'm not scared."
Before Iida could respond, the door was suddenly flung open.
"Deku!"
Uraraka rushed in, her face slightly flushed. Midoriya startled.
"U-Uraraka? Shouldn't you be watching the other matches?"
"They're already over!" she replied quickly. "Everything ended pretty fast. Now Kirishima is fighting a guy from Class B."
In the arena, Kirishima charged forward with a determined grunt. His hardened fist collided with Tetsutetsu's metallic face, producing a dull, heavy sound.
"My bros made it to the second round…" Kirishima thought, gritting his teeth. "It wouldn't be manly of me be the only one who didn't make it!"
Tetsutetsu returned the blow with equal force, his metal fist slamming into the redhead's hardened face.
"This is my last chance…" he thought. "I have to redeem Class B for Kendo and the others. They trusted me and Ibarra to represent the class, so I can't go down this easily!"
The two charged at the same time, landing simultaneous blows to each other's faces. Sparks flew as the solid surfaces collided, drawing exclamations from the crowd.
Back in the preparation room, Uraraka caught her breath and began to explain:
"Mina beat Aoyama after damaging his belt. It was kind of chaotic… but it worked."
She paused, then continued, raising her hands over her head and mimicking a pair of horns.
"As for Momo… she ended up losing to that girl from Class B. The fight was quick—she was overwhelmed by those weird, guided horns!"
Midoriya nodded slowly.
"I see… so it'll be my turn soon."
Iida and Uraraka exchanged a worried look, but Midoriya raised a hand, trying to reassure them.
"Don't worry about me."
He pulled out his notebook and carefully opened it, his eyes taking on a determined gleam.
"I… have a plan in mind to deal with Kacchan."
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After the brutal duel between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu ended in a draw, Present Mic raised his voice, as energetic as ever.
"OOOOORIGHT! Since we've got a solid tie here, these two will settle it later! But for now… let's move on to the final match of the first round!"
In the stands, Tsuyu followed the arena with attentive eyes.
"I think this one's going to be pretty intense, ribbit," she commented calmly.
"Totally!" Mina agreed, already leaning forward in her seat. "You can practically feel the tension from here."
Just above them, Uraraka clenched her fists against her chest, taking a deep breath.
"Give it your best, Deku…"
Beside her, Iida straightened his posture.
"It's starting."
The tunnel doors opened, and the two boys stepped onto the stage. The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"LAAAADIES AND GENTLEMEEEEN!" Present Mic announced, dramatically pointing to one side of the arena. "The celebrity since his middle school days, the explosive problem child… KATSUKI BAKUGO!"
Bakugo strode forward with firm steps, his face twisted into an irritated scowl.
"Tch… shut up."
On the other side, Present Mic turned around, raising his arm with even more enthusiasm.
"AND FACING HIM… one of my favorites! The boy who never stops surprising us… IZUKU MIDORIYA!"
Midoriya emerged from the tunnel with unsteady steps. His shoulders were tense, and his nervousness was impossible to hide. His gaze swept across the arena for a moment before settling on Bakugo.
"Kacchan…"
Bakugo was already staring back at him with a furious glare.
"Deku…"
Midoriya swallowed hard.
"So this is it…" he thought. "I'm really going to face Kacchan for real this time."
Memories of their combat training flashed through his mind.
He analyzed the situation quickly, as always. Bakugo was terrifyingly well-rounded: raw power, absurd mobility, refined control over his quirk. There were no obvious openings. Even using Full Cowl at 5%, Midoriya knew—it wouldn't be enough to defeat him in a direct confrontation.
"Hey, are you listening to me, Deku?!" Bakugo snarled, interrupting his thoughts. "Back to those stupid monologues again? You really think you can beat me, you damn nerd?!"
He leaned forward, eyes burning with disdain and rage.
"Don't get full of yourself just because of that circus trick you pulled in the obstacle race. You're still just an extra. A weak, damn worm I can crush anytime I want. And today I'm gonna make the difference in power between us crystal clear!"
Present Mic's voice echoed through the arena:
"START!"
Bakugo didn't waste a single second. Explosions erupted from his hands as he launched himself toward Midoriya like a human missile.
Midoriya froze in place, his body reacting before his mind. The fear was real—paralyzing.
"Yeah… I can't defeat Bakugo right now," he admitted to himself. "That would only be possible in a real fight, without restrictions."
But this was a tournament.
And there's more than one way to win—and therefore more chances to do so.
He clenched his teeth, focusing One For All into his right arm.
Not 5%.
But 100%.
"And I… can win without fighting you head-on!"
Bakugo was already upon him, suspended in midair, his right arm thrusting forward to release an explosion.
"DIE!"
Then his eyes widened.
In slow motion, he saw Midoriya's punch coming straight at him.
The way the fist advanced toward his face made flashes tear through his mind in an instant: the battle training, that punch loaded with killing intent, the eyes darkening into green, the suffocating gaze… the invisible wall he had slammed into without realizing it.
At the last second, the blow veered downward.
SMAAASH!!"
The punch crashed violently into the air below. A colossal blast erupted across the arena, the wind sweeping Bakugo and everything in its path away. The audience covered their faces as dust and debris were hurled in every direction, completely swallowing everyone's view.
When the air finally settled, the silence was broken only by the distant echo of the impact.
Midnight narrowed her eyes, trying to see through the cloud of dust that covered half the stage.
And then she saw him.
Bakugo was sitting against the outer wall of the stadium, completely out of the arena's bounds. His face was a mixture of shock and disbelief, as if his world had just been turned upside down.
"Bakugo is out of bounds!" Midnight announced. "Victory goes to Midoriya!"
Midoriya stood still for a moment, breathing heavily. He clutched his injured right arm against his chest, his body trembling, sweat running down his face—not just from pain, but from disbelief.
"I… won?"
He lifted his gaze, still unable to believe what he had done. After all, that had been his first battle against Bakugo—and also the first time he had ever beaten him.
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(A/N: Wishing you all a happy new year!)